Device for detaching horses



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. O. L. RICE. DEVICE FOR DETAGHING HORSES.

No. 412,897. Patented Oct. 15-, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. L. RICE.

DEVICE FOR DETAGHING HORSES.

No. 412,897. Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

J m m N. PETERS, Phnlo-Lithagmphen Washington. as.

UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. RICE, OF EAST GRANITE FALLS, MINNESOTA.

DEVICE FOR DETACHING HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,897, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed May 28, 1389.

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that 1, (Jun RLES L. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Granite Falls, in the county of Chippewa and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Detaching Horses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for detaching horses; and it consists in a novel means for securing the doubletree to the pole or shaft, and also in a novel construction of the whiffletree-hook, whereby, when the vehicle upsets or turns over, the doubletree will be turned in such manner as to permit the traces to be automatically disconnected from the whiffietree-hooks.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved devices as applied to a doubletree; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the doubletree-iron; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view; Fig. 4:, a perspective view of the parts separated; Figs. 5, 5, and 5*, detail views illustrating the construction of the automatic releasing-weight; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8, views illustrating the construction of the whiflletree-hook.

A indicates the pole or tongue, and B a cir- 'cular plate or disk applied to the upper face thereof, said plate having a central hub a and a ring or flange b concentric with the hub, Figs. 3 and 4. The construction of the plate B, as it serves merely as a washer, may be varied considerably; in fact, in light vehicles it may be omitted entirely and an ordinary washer employed.

0 indicates a disk or plate provided with a central hub c and a concentric ring or flange d, the hub and flange of the plate or disk 0 being respectively larger than the hub and flange of the plate B and encircling them, as shown in Fig. Both plates B G are perforated centrally, as shown; but the hole or perforation in the upper plate 0 is large enough to receive the upper end of hub a. Applied to the upper face of the plate or disk 0 is a third plate or disk D, having a stem E, which passes centrally through the hub a and down through the pole A,where it is provided with a nut e, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the plate or. disk 1) serving to hold the plate C down upon the plate B; but the plate 0 should not bear upon the plate B with such force as to preclude its turning.

In order to prevent the plates B and D from turning, and to obviate the necessity of tightening the nut 6 with suflicient force to cause binding between the parts B G, a pin or bolt F is employed,which, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, passes through all three of the plates and through the pole or tongue, where it is provided with a nut. Where this pin or bolt F passes through the plate 0 the latter is provided with an elongated curved slot f, so as not to interfere with the movement of the said plate. The bolt will, however, limit the movement of the plate and prevent the double tree from swinging back far enough to strike against the wheels. Formed upon or secured to the front side of plate 0 is a lug g, to which the iron G, bolted to the doubletree H, is hinged or pivoted, while upon the rear side of the plate is another lug h, which is provided with a rearwardly-projecting pin 2, a vertical slot j extending from the top of the lug downward through the pin, and a recess 70 in its outer face surrounding the pin.

Mounted upon the pin or stud 'i is a weight I, having on its inner face, near one edge, a hub Z, slotted to correspond with the slotted lug and pin, but so arranged relatively to the latter that when the weight is in its normal position the slots in its hub will be horizontal or at right angles to the slots in the lug and pin. This is secured by making the hub Z eccentric to the main body of the weight, so that as the preponderance of weight is below the pin or stud the slots in the hub will remain normally in the horizontal position.

Secured to the rear face of the iron G is a flattened stud m, of a thickness to fitthe slot in the lug and pin and of a width equal to the diameter of the pin. When the weight I is from any cause turned so that the slot in its hub will come into alignment with the slot in the pin, this flattened stud m may enter, and as it is of the same width as the pin or stud it will not project above or below the latter. The flattened stud is of such a length that in passing through the slot in the pin it will also pass through the slotted wall of the hub, and consequently when the hub is turned so as to'bring its slot out of alignment with the slot in the pin the flattened stud will be effectually prevented from escaping by the solid portion of the hub by which it is encircled. From this construction and arrangement it will be seen that when from any cause the weight is turned or rocked so as to bring the slot in its hub in line with the slot in the pin the iron G will be allowed to swing forward upon its hinge or pivot, the flattened stud rising out of the slot in the lug. The movements of the weight are limited by means of a pin or stud h, projecting from the front face of lug h into a groove h2 in the weight, as shown in Fig. 3.

It is desired that when the iron G, with the doubletree attached, swings or turns over, it shall enable the horses to be automatically detached, and to secure this result I provide the whiffletree with a loop or hook, (illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8,) which, on the turning of the whiffletree, will release the traces.

Upon the end of the whiffietree J is secured a socket-piece K, having a socketn to receive the end of the whiffietree, and a socket 0 to receive a hub 19, formed upon the hook or loop L. Projecting centrally from the bottom of the'socket 0 is a draw-pin or stud g, which extends outward beyond the end of the socket-piece and bears against the inner face of the outer arm of the loop or hook L. The hub 12 of the hook or loop fits snugly within the socket o, and is provided with two spiral slots 1' to receive a pin 8, which passes through the socket from side to side, as shown in Fig. 8. Instead of passing the pin 8 through the socket from side to side, two screw-studs may be employed, which shall project through the wall of the socket 0 into the slots.

When it is desired to insert the trace, the

loop is turned to -a horizontal position, as

shown in Fig. 7; but as the loop is being turned the inclined slots in its hub, acting in conjunction with the pin or stud .9, cause the loop to be projected outward upon and relatively to the pin q, so that when the loop has been brought to a horizontal position the end of the draw-pin q will not project into the open part of the loop or hook, and will not interfere with the ready insertion of the trace. After the trace is inserted into the hook or 'loop it is only necessary to return the latter to its former position, the inclined slots causing it to slide inward upon the stem or draw-pin q, so that by the time the loop has assumed its working position this drawpin or stem (1 will be found bearing against the inner face of the outer arm of the hook or loop, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. It is of course understood that the end of the trace will be provided with a hole or perforation, as usual, so that when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 6 and 8 the pin qwill extend through the hole in the trace. From this construction and arrangement it will be seen that it is impossible for the traces to become detached without moving the loop or release may be effected either by turning the loop L relatively to. the socket-piece or by turning the whiftietree as a whole relatively to the loop, for in the latter case the pull on the traces has a tendency to keep the loop in proper working position, while allowing the whiflietree to turn.

By reference to the drawings and to what has already been said it will be observed that if the weight be turned so as to release the doubletree-iron the doubletree may turn or swing over forward and carry with it the whiffletrees, and in thus turning they cause the trace to be released, as just before stated, the loops or hooks L being held in position by the pull on the traces, while the socketpiece and its pin 8 are turned.

While I have shown the whiftletrees pivoted to the doubletree, I wish it it distinctly understood that this arrangement is not essential to the carrying out of the present invention, as one of the whiftletrees itself may be attached to the iron G and adapted for use without any doubletree, this depending upon the character of the vehicle to which the invention is applied. So, too, where I have set forth in the claims the combination of the doubletree, the whiffletrees, and the pole or tongue, I do not wish to be understood as re stricting myself to the use of these particular parts, but mean to include also their equivalents, these terms being used merely because they are employed in the specification.

So far as the action of the whiffletree-hooks is concerned, it is obvious that the doubletree, or in case the doubletree be omitted and the whiffietree pivoted to the cross-bar of the shafts, then the whiffletree or the doubletree, as the case may be, may be released in any suitable manner; and it is also clear that, so far as the action of this doubletree-releasing mechanism is concerned, any other form of automatic trace hook or loop may be employed. Indeed,while the hook or loop herein described was designed particularly for use in connection with the releasing devices shown, it is capable of application to the ordinary form of whiftletree and as a substitute for many of the hooks now in use, the invention consisting, broadly, first, of an automatic trace hook or loop; second, of an automatic whiffletree or doubletree releasing mechanism, and, third, in the combination of. these two devices.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is- 1. In combination with areversible whiffletree, automatic trace hooks or loops secured to the ends thereof, and provided each with a pin or stud to enter the eye of the trace, all substantially as shown, whereby when the whifiletree is reversed the traces will be positively detached from the pins or studs.

2. In combination with a hinged or pivoted whiffletree, (or doubletree,) an automatic looking device therefor and automatic trace-hooks applied to the ends thereof.

3. In combination with a reversible doubletree. an automatic releasing device therefor, whiffletrees secured to the doubletree, and automatic trace hooks or loops secured to the ends thereof.

4. In combination with plate 0, )late D, provided with a bolt or stem, and iron G, hinged to the plate 0.

5. In combination with perforated plate 0, plate D, provided with a stem or bolt, iron G, hinged to the plate 0, and a bolt F, passing through the plates 0 D.

6. In combination with plate B, plate 0, fitting thereon and provided with a curved slot, plate D, provided with a bolt or stem, iron G, hinged to the plate 0, and a bolt F, passing through the plates.

7. In combination with plate 0, having a slotted pin, iron G, provided with a stud and pivoted or hinged to plate 0, and a weight having a slotted hub.

8. In combination with plate 0, having lugs h and g, the former slotted, as shown, and provided with a slotted pint and a recess 70, iron G, provided with a flattened stud m and hinged to the lug g, and a weight provided with a slotted hub l.

9. In combination with the socket-piece K, provided with sockets n 0, and a rigid drawpin q, the loop or hook L, having the inclined slots r, and a pin or stud .9, working in the slots;

10. In combination with a socket-piece, as K, provided with a draw-pin q, and pin or stud s, the trace loop or hook provided with spiral slots and mounted and free to slide upon the draw-pin.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. RICE. Witnesses:

D. A. MOLARTY, P. O. LIEBERG. 

